Skate



C. H. CLARK.

SKATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1916.

1,379,250. Patented May 24,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs.

CHARLES HASKELL CLARK, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CLARK PEDMOBILE CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SKATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24:, 1921.

Application filed November 15, 1916. Serial No. 131,581.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HAsKELL CLARK, citizen of the United States, residing at 1626 Spruce St -Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skates, of which the following is a specification.

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide an ofiset wheel or cycle skate so arranged that the foot will lie normally in its natural angular relation to the leg of the wearer of the skate at all times excepting during application of the brakes, or in other words, at right angles to the leg, to allow play or rocking of the foot laterally on the ankle, and to provide means for braking the rear wheel, such means being operated by a downward movement of the toe relative to the heel, such movement most naturally being given by a forward movement of the foot, either alone or in conjunction with a lateral and rocking movement of the foot, in the latter case the movement of the foot forward of the line or center of gravity of the 'body being much less than in the former and resulting in a more abrupt application of the brake, due to quicker actuation of the braking mechanism and the ability to place more weight on the rear wheel; and to provide for the greatest amount of control in steering when an abrupt turn is necessary and to give the greatest amount of freedom and ease when traveling athigh speed or in climbing hills or skating against the wind.

The result of having the brake applied by the forward movement of the foot is that by so doing so long as the brake is on the foot will be slightly in advance of the center of gravity of the wearers body and in case the brake be applied too abruptly the center of gravity will be carried forward by the momentum of the wearers body until nearly even with, or even with or slightly in ad- Vance of the foot, thus easing up on, or entirely releasing, the brake,'thus automatically regulating the action of the brake and saving the wearer from a bad fall.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a left foot skate embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3, a detail View of the forward part of a slightly modified form in which the front wheel is provided with a steering knuckle and means for operating the same; and

Fig. 4, a top plan view of the modified form, omitting the rear wheel and brake mechanism. 7

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 2 indicates the front wheel mounted on the end portion of the forward inwardly presented arm of a crank-shaped frame 6 and 4 indicates the rear wheel mounted on the end portion of the rear and outwardly presented arm of said frame, the intermediate portion of which is parallel with and beneath the axial line of the foot plate 8 fastened in any suitable manner to said frame, so that in use the wheels 2 and d are offset, being parallel, the former being journaled on the inner side of the ball of the foot and the latter being journaled on the outer side of the heel, said wheels being arranged on opposite sides of the plate and having parallel axes. it is found by test that this arrangement results in supporting the foot at right angles to the leg, that is in its normal relative position when the body is in a normal healthful standing position. However, the construction thus far described is old, it being described thus fully simply to make clear that in this type of skate the foot from start to completion of the stroke is always kept at the same angle with relation to the leg, the shove being with the heel and laterally in stead of with the toe, as in the four wheel, or' alined wheel, type, and that thus in this type the natural movement of the foot and leg in skating would at no point result in altering the angle between the foot and leg, so could not result in the unintentional application of the brake.

An ankle brace 18 is pivotally mounted in the frame 6 in a bearing 16 for rocking movement longitudinally of the skate and is of such length as to reach just immediately above the angle of the wearer and is secured to this portion of the wearers leg by a band 20 to which it is pivotally connected at 21, as shown'in Fig. 1. The lower end of the brace carries an arm 24 substantially at right angles to said brace 18 and this arm is provided with a lateral extension substantially at right angles thereto and extending laterally beyond the center of the tread of the tire 4 mounted on the wheel 4:, and a brake shoe 26, shown in the form of a roller by way of illustration only, is mounted on the above extension and engages the tread of the tire i of saidwheel & on the brace 18 being rocked toward the rear of the skate to a sufficient degree, the arm 2a being shorter than the radius of the wheel .4 and the bearing 16 being located under the plane passing through the axes of the wheels 2 and a and in advance of the axis of the rear Wheel 4:.

Thus it follows that a pointing of the toe of the wearer, involving an increase of the degree of angle between the foot and leg. of the wearer will result in rocking the brace 18 rearward with relation tothe frame 6 and therefore in moving the brake shoe 26 into contact with the tire. It follows also that in case the brake be applied in this mannertoo abruptly the momentum of the wearersbody will carry it forward with relation to the skate until the foot approaches more nearly, or assumes, a position at right angles to the leg, thus relieving the brake as the normal position is approached until the brake is entirely released, thus, with the momentum of the wearers body, effecting an automatic regulation of the braking operation and saving the wearer from a painful fall in the circumstances above" indicated.

The plate 8 above referred to is provided with toe clips 10 and 12 and a heel strap let for holdingthe skate securely on the foot of the wearer.

The reason for having a short brace 18 extending just above the ankle is to allow for greater rocking movement of'the foot on the ankle, which movement becomesmore limited in proportion to the height of the point of attachment of the brace l8'to the leg above the ankle.

A' pneumatic tire i above referred to, is mounted on the rear wheel 4 and is abso lutely essential, as hereinafter explained, in the absence of some other and positive steering means. Also, ll prefer to mount a similar pneumatic tire 5 on the front'wheel 2, though this is not essential to the steering operation and could well be replaced with a solid cushion or other tire.

The pneumatic tire 4* on the rear wheel 4 has a very intimate association with the other elements of the skate to permit abrupt turns and to facilitate traveling in a straight line at high speed or climbing a hill or traveling against a heavy wind where a strong push with the feet is necessary.

It is inherent in this type of skates that so long as they are in a horizontal position they will travel in a straight line corresponding to the axial line of the particular skate. ;When, however, they are tilted to either side a change in the points of contact of the wheels with the ground is effected, but their axes are stillparallel, so that the skate will still travelin a straight line,'but at an angle to the axial line of the skate,

and always in the same lateral direction corresponding to the side of the skate on which the rear wheel is mounted;

in traveling at high speed or when skating against a heavy wind or in climbing a hill strong shove with the heel is necessary and results in tilting the skate, depressing the heel. and raising the toe, so that the skatehas its course changed at an angleto run laterally outward from under the wearer. v

Also, this tilting isessential in quick turning, but without some special provision the skate will travel in a straight line, instead of in a curve. i

To meet such circumstances as above'mentioned, allowing long powerful strokes for high speed and in hill climbing or skating against the wind and to provide the maximum of control allowing abrupt turns to avoid accidents I have found it absolutely essential to provide the rear wheel with a pneumatic tread which may be deformed by lateral and downward pressure. Under such pressure the tire 4 is deformed or rolled over between the point of "contact with the ground and the rim of the wheel.

In deforming this portion of the tire as above, the wheel and rest of the tire is of course forced laterally and as the rest of the tire first engages the ground it is slightly farther outward than the portion immediground,

ately before in contact with the thus pulling the rear wheel laterally and so changing the direction of the axial line of the skate. As this pulling action is continuous of course the shifting of the direction of the axial line of the skate is continuous, so that the line of travel may be thus changed from a straight line to a very abrupt are, aswell as all intermediate curves, thus providing very responsive means for correcting the tendency to roll laterally in a straight line from under the wearer on giving a strong shove in any of the situations above mentioned aswell as means for making an abrupt turn to avoid accidents.

Having'thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A skate comprising a pair of offset wheels, the rear wheel being on the outside and the front wheel being on the inside of the skate, and a pneumatic tire mounted on the rear wheel and adapted to give'laterally to pressure to pull the rear wheel laterally of the skate to shift the direction of the axial line of the skate. v

2. A skate having a frame, offset wheels and a brace, the front wheel being on the inside and "the rear wheel on the outside in order to keep the wearers foot normally at right angles to his leg in the various movements of his foot and leg in skating, in coinbination with means for retarding the rotation of the rear Wheel, said brace being connected to said frame for rocking movement and provided with means for actuating said retarding means as the brace rocks toward the rear of the skate and for releasing said retarding mechanism as the brace rocks to- CHARLES HASKELL CLARK. 

